Theoretischer und praktischer Unterricht über das Buch Thot

Theoretischer und praktischer Unterricht über das Buch Thot was published in Leipzig in 1793 by the lawyer, bookseller, and writer Adam Friedrich Gotthelf Baumgärtner (1759-1843). The book is a German translation of an earlier work titled Cours theorique et pratique du livre de thot that had been published by the French occultist Jean-Baptiste Alliete, aka Etteilla, in 1790. Etteilla, who is often credited with designing the first Tarot used for fortune-telling, gives instructions on how to read the 78-card deck, which he calls the "Book of Thoth" in accordance with Antoine Court de Gébelin's theory of an Egyptian origin for the cards. Baumgärtner's German translation features unpublished lessons not included in Etteilla's original work. Its publication was likely spearheaded by Etteilla's Prussian student Hisler. The book was sold alongside a copper-engraved German edition of Etteilla's Tarot deck, most likely produced by Baumgärtner as well. An incomplete copy of this deck can be viewed at the British Museum here: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1896-0501-497 The book was reissued in Stuttgart in 1857 by Johann Scheible. (See here: https://sammlungen.ub.uni-frankfurt.de/sdd/urn/urn:nbn:de:hebis:30:4-75472) Instead of including a separate deck of Tarot cards, Scheible's edition printed new wood engravings of the 78 Tarot designs in the back of the book for the reader to cut out and paste onto cardboard. K. A. Nitz published an English translation of the book in 2022 under the title Theory and Practical Instruction on the Book of Thoth . It can be purchased at Amazon (see here: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Theory+and+Practical+Instruction+on+the+Book+of+Thoth)